A number of games or puzzles based on juxtaposing a plurality of geometric shapes are known. Perhaps the earliest is the Chinese tangram puzzle as described in R. C. Read, Tangrams, Dover Inc. (1965), which comprises seven geometric pieces positionable to form a square. The pieces can be rearranged to form many arbitrary configurations.
In U.S. Pat. No. 1,430,557 to Jervis, a set of blocks of particular shapes and proportions are disclosed, which blocks may be rearranged to obtain representations of, for example, a lighthouse, a horse, an airplane, a ship, and the like. The blocks of the Jarvis set are not connected, and the child is free to arrange them in any particular manner. In U.S. Pat. No. 1,269,233 to Warga, a puzzle is disclosed, the puzzle comprising a plurality of geometrically shaped pieces, that may be arranged to provide animal representions. U.S. Pat. No. 3,407,530 to Grant et al discloses a sectionally formed toy with identifying indicia, the component parts being unconnected, but being assembled by providing, for example, magnet means on or within each of the parts.
Another puzzle having geometrically shaped pieces is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,886,324 to Cowan. In the Cowan invention, the pieces may be assembled to form, for example, a seal, a cat, and the like. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,323,245 to Beaman, a three dimensional device having differently shaped interfitting modular units is disclosed, while in U.S. Pat. No. 2,901,256 to Way, a pentagonal block puzzle is illustrated.
H. Steinhaus, Mathematical Snapshots, Oxford University Press, Reprint ed. (1983), illustrates a geometric oddity wherein an equilateral triangle can be divided into four geometric members that can be rearranged to form a square of the same area.